When You Think of Ulsan, Only 'Industrial City' Comes to Mind... "Is This a City Where People Earn Money and Leave?" [No Fun City]

[No Fun, Searching for the City's Fun]
<2> Cities Trapped in the 'No Fun City' Frame
② "Weekend in Ulsan? We Go to Seoul, Busan, or Daegu"
Ulsan Without People in Their 20s... Less Vitality Compared to Seoul and Nearby Cities

Editor's NoteAre you familiar with so-called 'No-Jam Cities,' meaning boring cities? These are cities lacking in things to do, see, and enjoy, where locals feel bored and people from other regions rarely visit. Since 2019, the term 'No-Jam City' has been used on social media to describe various cities. What started as a kind of meme for fun has evolved into local governments' 'Fun City Creation Projects' in places like Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju. Are cities labeled 'No-Jam' really dull and boring? What makes a city fun? We want to reflect on the places and spaces where we live.

"Korail will make a lot of money thanks to us (Ulsan). There is really high business demand for trips passing through Ulsan Station."

On the 19th of last month, the reporter visited Ulsan Station, which was bustling with people. However, there were more people in summer business suits carrying briefcases than those enjoying travel. This is because many visitors to Ulsan were there for business rather than tourism. Ulsan citizens explained to the reporter that on holidays, many young people leave Ulsan and head to Busan, which is about an hour away by car. This means that while they earn money in Ulsan, many spend it outside the region.

Officials from Ulsan City also lamented to the reporter that Ulsan has become a 'city where people earn money and leave.' Despite having good social infrastructure such as jobs, department stores, festivals, and tourist attractions, not many young people remain here. Ulsan Mayor Kim Doo-gyeom even sighed, saying, "Ulsan has become a city where people just pee and leave."

Statue of 'Ulsan Keun-aegi,' the Ulsan tourism mascot, standing at Ulsan Taehwagang National Garden. Photo by Heo Young-han

"Good to live but go to Seoul on weekends"... Ulsan, a city of two sides

Ulsan has long been known as an industrial city, but in fact, it is a city that boasts natural environments including the sea, rivers, and mountains. The Taehwa River, which runs through the center of Ulsan, symbolizes the region's transformation. During the time when Ulsan was called an industrial city, massive amounts of industrial wastewater flowed into the Taehwa River, severely degrading its water quality and earning it the nickname 'River of Death.' Since the mid-1990s, cleanup projects began, and today it has transformed into an 'ecological treasure trove' visited annually by 7,000 to 8,000 migratory birds.

Ulsan Taehwagang National Garden. Photo by Heo Younghan

Currently, Ulsan offers places to rest, stay, and enjoy, receiving high praise not only from Ulsan citizens but also from outsiders. Along the riverbank, there are Starbucks as well as numerous cafes and restaurants of various sizes. On that day, the park was crowded with citizens walking in small groups along the Taehwa River promenade or lying on benches soaking up the sun.

Lee Bok-ji (63), a native of Ulsan who was sitting on a bench enjoying the sun, said, "Look at the Taehwa River, isn't it great?" and added, "It's really good for cycling." When asked about the image of Ulsan as an industrial city, Lee responded, "The factory image has long been shed," emphasizing, "Ulsan is such a good place to live."

However, some expressed that it is difficult to appeal Ulsan's natural environment to outsiders. Kim (68), who has been a taxi driver in Ulsan for 30 years after moving here during Ulsan's manufacturing boom, rattled off tourist spots such as Daewangam, Amethyst Cave, Ganjeolgot, Taehwa River, and Jangsaengpo. Then he complained, "The city broadcasts and promotes so much that I know it all by heart, but tourists often say there is nothing to see in Ulsan." He added, "One tourist who liked former President Park Geun-hye came to Ulsan because she visited here, but complained, 'Is this just bamboo? What is this?'"

In front of Ulsan City Hall, there is a rice paddy, a small stream, and a pavilion. Rice plants are growing in the paddy, and a crane is strolling along the paddy ridge. Photo by Heo Young-han

Young people in Ulsan go to Seoul, Busan, Daegu to hang out... Is it because of No-Jam?

Citizens met in Ulsan explained that the city's vibrancy is lower compared to nearby cities like Busan, Daegu, and Gyeongju. They said that on days they plan to have fun, they leave Ulsan altogether. Hong Jung-woo (32), met in Seongnam-dong, said, "When friends plan to hang out, they often go out of town. Hanging out in Ulsan is just casually meeting friends; compared to Busan and Daegu, the atmosphere is dull." He added, "Ulsan's downtown is small and quiet, whereas Busan's Gwangalli Beach is crowded and lively."

Seongnam-dong Street, Ulsan

An entire building in downtown Ulsan is vacant.

Kim Hyun-chan (36), who runs the cafe 'Seaz Coffee' in Ulsan's Gongri-dangil, pointed out that the lack of young people is a weakness for Ulsan. Kim said, "Pubs popular in Seoul have started to appear, and with people's income levels rising, many high-quality dining franchises have come in. It's a decent city for entertainment," but also explained, "However, there are few young people because there is no university, and it is true that cultural benefits to attract them are lacking."

The low vitality of young people is also analyzed to be influenced by the number of universities. Currently, there are only two universities in Ulsan: Ulsan University and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). On that day, the reporter visited several places with high foot traffic in Ulsan, such as the Shipbuilding Festival, Ulsan City Hall, Gongri-dangil, Ulsan Station, and Seongnam-dong, but especially among people in their 20s, few were seen.

The Industrial Tower in Nam-gu, Ulsan, a symbol of the industrial city Ulsan. Photo by Heo Young-han

The alley commercial districts that young people would respond to also seemed to have lost vitality. It is a 20-minute walk from Ulsan City Hall to the old downtown area, Gongyeongtap. The roads were busy with cars, but along the way, the most frequently seen signs were 'For Rent' banners on vacant stores. It was not difficult to find entire buildings empty. Foot traffic to the cafe street 'Gongri-dangil' near Gongyeongtap was also sparse. Recently, so-called 'hip' Instagrammable cafes have started to appear in Gongri-dangil, but there are fewer than 10, making it hard to call it an 'OO-dangil.' When asked where Gongri-dangil is, a nearby high school student said, "I don't really know."

As the commercial districts decline, places for Generation Z to hang out, such as PC rooms and karaoke rooms, are also closing down. Kim (15), who visited Ulsan's bustling Seongnam-dong with friends, was wandering the streets with a map app open. Kim said, "After school, I came to Seongnam-dong to find a PC room. Many places have closed recently, so I have to search on my phone to find a PC room." In fact, the Seongnam-dong commercial district resembled an old downtown rodeo street, but every other store was either for rent or vacant, so it did not feel like a bustling area.

Ulsan, a city 'stuck' between Busan and Gyeongju... Only the 'industrial city' image remains

A standing signboard on the platform of Ulsan Station. 'Ulsan (Tongdosa)' is located between Busan and Gyeongju. Photo by Yoon Seulgi

There is a saying about the sorrow of being the second child. The first child gets attention from above, the younger sibling from below, and the second child in the middle feels relatively neglected. Sometimes, their presence in the family becomes faint due to this ambiguous position. Ulsan is like that. Above it is Gyeongju, below it is Busan. Gyeongju has the image of a 'historical city,' and Busan has the image of a 'tourist city.'

In fact, Ulsan is a region with history accumulated since prehistoric times, including the Bangudae Petroglyphs, and it has a well-rounded natural landscape, making it a city with great tourism potential. However, because it has not secured a keyword, Ulsan is still predominantly perceived as an 'industrial city.' While industry accounts for 80% of what has built Ulsan, at a time when fun has become a pillar of urban competitiveness, the industrial city image is rather holding Ulsan back.

A street in the old downtown area in front of Ulsan City Hall. Ulsan is a city where leading domestic companies such as Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai Mobis, SK, Mobis, S-Oil, and Korea Zinc are gathered, and it is also a wealthy metropolitan city with the highest per capita Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in the country. However, on weekends, Ulsan suffers from the outflow of consumption as people leave for Seoul or nearby cities.

Ulsan citizens also agreed that the 'No-Jam City' stigma is largely influenced by the background of 'industrial city Ulsan.' The rigid concrete buildings and monotonous factory chimneys have led to evaluations of being boring, and naturally, this has prevented outsiders' curiosity for decades.

Experts also diagnosed that this image has contributed to the city being labeled as boring. Yoo Young-jun, a professor at Ulsan University's Graduate School of Policy, said, "We learn from textbooks that Ulsan is an industrial city, and it has the image of only industrial complexes. Tourism centered on industry is inherently not fun, so it has limitations." A Ulsan city official said, "Ulsan's image so far has been that of an industrial city. Being sandwiched between Gyeongju and Busan, it may also receive relatively less attention."

Citizens say "Please create small joys"... The key to Ulsan's leap to a 'Fun City'

Ulsan has recently been busy creating a fun city. They are planning to inject vitality into the city by building a world-class performance hall at Taehwa River, constructing a canoe slalom stadium, and building a large-scale resort. Ulsan City is also pushing to build a K-pop academy with a completion target of 2028 to nurture K-pop talent. This is interpreted as a policy to expand the influx of young people into the city due to the small number of universities and low inflow of people in their 20s.

However, what citizens want is not large, flashy buildings but everyday fun found in daily life. Lee (30s), who visited Seongnam-dong with a newborn baby, said, "We go to places like Taehwa River when we go out as a family with the baby, but we can't go there every day. There aren't many places to go. I feel a lack." High school student Hwang Ye-bin (18), who visited the Shipbuilding Festival that day, said, "Honestly, the things to do in Ulsan are predictable. You go to Samsan-dong, go to karaoke, go to a cafe, and that's it." She added, "I hope there are many diverse events to enjoy," and said, "It would be great if there were more spectacular sights like today's fireworks."

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